B.navez · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cornelian cherry
Shrub·Cornus mas
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Well-drained soil
Drainage
Zones 4–8
Hardiness
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is a shrub. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs.
Through the year
FloweringFruitingDying backDormant
Works well with
from wiki dataNo companions recorded.
WHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Needs well-drained soil
Prefers soil pH 6.5–8
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Prefers loam, clay, sandy loam soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up calcium, potassium from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives fruit (edible drupes)
Gives mulch biomass (medium)
Gives pollen (early spring source)
Gives nectar (early spring source)
Provides calcium
Provides potassium
Attracts pollinators
Attracts birds
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Shrub layer
Height400–800 cm
Spacing400 cm (min 300 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width300–600 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed, cuttings, grafting
Difficulty
Establishes in about 2 yr
Self-seeds a little on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph B.navez · CC BY-SA 3.0